Friday, 9 March 2018

Tafseer Ibn Katheer : The Meaning of Al-Fatihah & Its Various Name

This Surah is called Al-Fatihah, that is, the Opener of the Book, the Surah which prayers are begun. It is also called Umm Al-Kitab (the Mother of the Book), according to the majority of the scholars. In an authentic Hadits recorded by At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih, Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said ;

Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil-`Alamin is the Mother of the Quran, the Mother of the Book, and the seven repeated Ayat of the Glorious Quran.

It is also called Al-Hamd and As-Salah because the Prophet said that his Lord said ;

The prayer (i.e., Al-Fatihah) is divided into two halves between Me and My servants. When the servant says, "Al praise is due to Allah, the Lord of existence" and Allah says, "My servant has praised Me".

Al-Fatihah was called the Salah because reciting it is a condition for the correctness of Salah - the prayer. Al-Fatihah was also called Ash-Shifa' (the Cure).

It is also called Ar-Ruqyah (remedy), since in the Sahih, there is the narration of Abu Sa'id telling the story of the Companion who used Al-Fatihah as a remedy for the tribal chied who was poisoned. Later, the Messenger of Allah said to a Companion ;

How did you know that it is a Ruqyah?.

Al-Fatihah was revealed in Makkah as Ibn 'Abbas, Qatadah and Abu Al-'Aliyah stated. Allah said ;